Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering have developed a computer software system that allows flexible design of facility models, including various clinical models created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

(Media-Newswire.com) - Atlanta ( August 15, 2008 ) —Planning for a catastrophe involving a disease outbreak or mass casualties is an ongoing challenge for first responders and emergency managers. They must make critical decisions on treatment distribution points, staffing levels, impacted populations and potential impact in a compressed window of time when seconds could mean life or death.

Although extensive resources have been devoted to planning for a worse case scenario on the local, regional and national scale, a June 2008 report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) found gaps still exist. While many states have made progress in planning for mass casualty events, many noted continued concerns related to maintaining adequate staffing levels and accessing other resources necessary to effectively respond.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering have developed a computer software system that allows flexible design of facility models, including various clinical models created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). The system is designed to help federal, state and local first responders design and test more efficient plans and policies for dealing with health care emergencies.

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